How to Dry Out Wet Carpet

If you’ve experienced flooding, heavy rainfall or even a leaky bathroom, you might be facing carpet water damage. Knowing how to dry out wet carpet is useful, but it’s even more useful to understand the situation at large. Don’t spend hours trying to remedy a hopeless situation, but on the other hand, don’t forgo a little DIY treatment if the damage isn’t too bad. Follow the guide below, and streamline the clean-up process to save time, money and—most importantly—your carpet.

For Carpet Damage to Small Areas of Carpet or Area Rugs

If you’re lucky, and if you’ve only faced standing water on a small area of carpet, you can quickly reduce the wetness by laying down several towels across the afflicted area, and step over them to squeeze out the saturated water. Assuming you caught the carpet damage rather quickly, you’ll likely be able to clean up the issue without much trouble. You can also prop open doors and windows and use floor fans from around your home to create some good airflow to evaporate the moisture. However, if you’re facing off against a larger decorative rug spanning across a lot of floor area, you’ll need to dry it on the spot. If you’re able, attempt to lift the rug and hang it outside somewhere with good airflow so it can dry from both sides. If you cannot get the rug out of the affected area, due to it being heavy from the water it absorbed or there’s not just not adequate room, try the using towels like mentioned above or possibly prop something under the rug to allow air to travel underneath it to help with the drying process. This tactic will just take much longer and may not be effective enough but it’s worth a shot. Remember, the DIY approach is best suited to homeowners who’ve caught the problem immediately.

For the Carpet Damage to Floor-Grounded Carpet

If your home, apartment or business area has carpeted flooring, the situation will likely involve a bit more work. Water needs to be removed from carpeted floors immediately, because prolonged saturation in carpet can cause the carpet to “split” apart, get wavy or stretch out and even cause the production of mold. Carpeted floors are composed of carpet tufts, adhesive and a backing. When water is left to saturate the carpet, the adhesive weakens. When the adhesive weakens, the tufts are easily removed and the backing slides away. Remember to check up on the carpet padding, too, as this can become saturated and hold a lot of moisture as well.

If you suspect that you have a serious issue on your hands, and you feel up to tackling the situation yourself, you’ll need to pull the carpet from the floor. To do so, use a pair of plyers and work gloves to lift the carpet from the floor beneath. Begin the removal at the corner of the room, and keep furniture clear from the removal area. If you’re not able to remove the carpet in its entirety, your option is to peel back the carpet to create a flap to expose the padding or the raw floor beneath and allow airflow to get beneath those layers to dry them out. Allow ample time for drying to occur as it can often take some time.

How to Dry Out Wet Carpet with Professional Help

Sometimes, the water wins. Well, it wins in damaging a portion of the carpet, anyway. A lot of water damage impacts a carpet’s backing, which keeps it aligned with the floor. If this is the case, you can actually strip off the backing, toss it, and purchase another. This process is, however, lengthy and difficult. In some cases, it’s best to contact a professional to rapidly reduce the water damage to your carpet, separate the backing, and dry it with professional machines.

In most cases, they will also likely assist you in removal and reinstallation of the affected area. It’s important to avoid cutting the carpet, as jagged lines can certainly make the removal process—and reinstallation—problematic. Instead, ask your provider about potential damages, possible reinstallation techniques and prolonged drying options.

Before taking action with a professional, however, look into damage estimates. Sometimes, insurance providers and landlords will pitch in—especially if the damage wasn’t caused by you. Sometimes, too, a carpet’s manufacturer can lend a helping hand. Carpet providers often supply information—even products—to extend a water damaged carpet’s life. That said, sometimes a carpet is simply beyond repair. It’s important to refer to a professional provider, engage simple, safe removal and always ask about extra options. A lot of times, a provider’s truck-mounted hot water extraction services are more than viable solutions.

Have a situation that requires professionl help? Contact Zona Restoration today and you can take comfort in knowing that we will take care of the situation immediately and restore your home to its original state. We guarantee it!